JOHNNY'S POPS

Do you remember the days when you could buy an ice cream from a guy with a bicycle? Well, Johnny's Pops has taken that nostalgic idea and has given it a twist, selling popsicles made from locally sourced ingredients from the front of a bicycle he retrofitted himself.

Johnny grew up in Agassiz and made the big move to Vancouver in 2010. One day, he was inspired by someone in Atlanta making popsicles with interesting flavours. So, Johnny retrofitted a bicycle to hold a cooler for 100 popsicles, found some warehouse space with a kitchen, and in May 2013, Johnny's Pops was born.

The popsicle flavours are largely a result of trial and error. What started as an attempt to recreate ice cream flavours has moved to create unique and mouth-wateringly good popsicles. Flavours include raspberry lime, coconut, apricot salted caramel, and creamy strawberry lemonade. The fruit is largely sourced from Krause Berry Farms in Langley, which has been in operation for over 40 years.

Johnny reckons he has made more than 60,000 popsicles since 2013, which have been devoured everywhere from the Food Cart Fest, to the Vancouver Farmers Market, Khatsahlano, and at private catering functions. This year, Johnny will also be at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which in itself is a good reason to go. The popsicles are also sold at retail locations including Welk's General Store (3511 Main Street), Gigi Blin and soon at the Dirty Apron (540 Beatty Street).

So the next time you're craving something good (and cold) on a hot day, use the Vancouver Street Food App to find Johnny - he'll be the guy with the striped shirt and really really good popsicles.